"Our mission is to expose violations of people’s right to food wherever they may occur. We stand up against unjust and oppressive practices that prevent people from feeding themselves and we support the struggle of individuals and groups who are determined to defend their rights."

Can food and food sovereignty be the catalyst for a Commons Transition? For over 30 years, FIAN International has been advocating for the right to food sovereignty. Their work unites bottom-up grassroots movements and local administrations, with a special focus on inclusivity and enfranchising those who are most often left out. Mirroring some of the developments in the Ghent Commons Transition Plan and the ongoing work on Food as Commons, we felt that their ongoing work warranted a deeper exploration from a P2P/Commons perspective. To find out more Michel Bauwens from the P2P Foundation interviewed Astrid Bouchedor, Manuel Eggen, and Hanne Flachet from FIAN Belgium and Emily Mattheisen from FIAN International.

"Our mission is to expose violations of people’s right to food wherever they may occur. We stand up against unjust and oppressive practices that prevent people from feeding themselves and we support the struggle of individuals and groups who are determined to defend their rights."

Can food and food sovereignty be the catalyst for a Commons Transition? For over 30 years, FIAN International has been advocating for the right to food sovereignty. Their work unites bottom-up grassroots movements and local administrations, with a special focus on inclusivity and enfranchising those who are most often left out. Mirroring some of the developments in the Ghent Commons Transition Plan and the ongoing work on Food as Commons, we felt that their ongoing work warranted a deeper exploration from a P2P/Commons perspective. To find out more Michel Bauwens from the P2P Foundation interviewed Astrid Bouchedor, Manuel Eggen, and Hanne Flachet from FIAN Belgium and Emily Mattheisen from FIAN International.

"Any economy is informed by its prevailing value system. The dominant one prioritizes absentee profit maximization while simultaneously deeming carework and environmental stewardship as externalities. Commons-based peer production highlights new ecosystems of value creation comprised of three institutions: the productive community, the commons-oriented entrepreneurial coalition(s), and the for-benefit association."

"A commons includes three essential elements: a shared resource, co-governed by its user community, and the community’s rules for governance. “A commons” could include natural resources (water, air), and/or created assets (culture, knowledge). P2P —“peer to peer”, “people to people”, or “person to person”— is a way in which peers freely collaborate with each other to create value in the form of shared resources, circulated in the form of commons. If “commons” is the “what” – the blend of resource, community and rules – “P2P” could be considered the “how” – methodologies, practices, governance and networks, as examples."

Passionate, dubious, curious — how do you feel about the Commons? If you want to learn more and share with others, our new site was created with you in mind.

We’ve put together Q&A-style articles on P2P and Commons approaches to work, politics, economy and culture, along with specially commissioned infographics and illustrations and an interactive glossary, to make a website that’s accessible and attractive for the growing world of commoners. You will also find case studies of communities that have put these concepts into practice, along with downloadable publications, more in-depth articles plus audio and video resources.

Passionate, dubious, curious — how do you feel about the Commons? If you want to learn more and share with others, our new site was created with you in mind.

We’ve put together Q&A-style articles on P2P and Commons approaches to work, politics, economy and culture, along with specially commissioned infographics and illustrations and an interactive glossary, to make a website that’s accessible and attractive for the growing world of commoners. You will also find case studies of communities that have put these concepts into practice, along with downloadable publications, more in-depth articles plus audio and video resources.

Something’s been brewing in France! During the summer of 2017, Maïa Dereva (the coordinator of P2P Foundation France) travelled throughout the country checking out various commons-oriented projects and communities. Now, she has shared with us the stories of the commoners she met along the way. Including projects such as la Fonderie, in Paris, Mainstenant and the Pirate Island, the Assemblies of the Commons in Grenoble and Marseille and Les Ateliers in Castres. A vivid portrait of commoners and a travelogue with unique perspective.

Something’s been brewing in France! During the summer of 2017, Maïa Dereva (the coordinator of P2P Foundation France) travelled throughout the country checking out various commons-oriented projects and communities. Now, she has shared with us the stories of the commoners she met along the way. Including projects such as la Fonderie, in Paris, Mainstenant and the Pirate Island, the Assemblies of the Commons in Grenoble and Marseille and Les Ateliers in Castres. A vivid portrait of commoners and a travelogue with unique perspective.

Do you want to see what a post-capitalist, cooperative and open source society would look like?

Our latest study, written by George Dafermos and co-produced by the P2P Foundation and Robin Hood Coop, is the first in depth field study and analysis of the Catalan Integral Cooperative (CIC). The CIC is a multifaceted solidarity economic and social network seeking "Social transformation from below through self-management, self-organization and networking".

From the report: "The Cooperativa Integral Catalana (CIC) is one of the most interesting cooperative projects which have sprung up during the age of crisis in Europe. First of all, it is notable on account of its revolutionary character: the main objective of the CIC is nothing less than to build an alternative economy in Catalonia capable of satisfying the needs of the local community more effectively than the existing system, thereby creating the conditions for the transition to a post-capitalist mode of organization of social and economic life.

To fulfil the purpose it has set itself, the CIC is engaged in an impressive spectrum of activities: although it was formed just seven years ago, it has already been actively involved in developing infrastructures as diverse as barter markets, a network of common stores, an alternative currency called ‘eco’, a ‘Cooperative Social Fund’ for financing community projects and a ‘basic income programme’ for remunerating its members for their work. By setting up such structures, the CIC aspires to be an organizational platform for the development of a self-sufficient economy that is autonomous from the State and the capitalist market."